Method of assembling composite hopper cars



Feb. 25, 1930. 1 McBRlDE 1,748,139

METHOD OF ASSEMBLING COMPOSITE HOPPER CARS Fled'May 9.. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l TTRNEY Feb. 25, 1930. .1 -J. MCBRIDE METHOD OF ASSEMBLING COMPOSITE HOPPER CARS Filed May 9, 1928 2 Shee'S-Sheet 2 'Patented Feb. 25, 1930 'f UNI/Tre STATES titane ritiri?.rf ori-ice J'. IVICIBIEtlIDVliJg, OF BAYONNE, NEW JERSEY, .ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN CAR AND A FOUNDRYCOMPANY, NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY METHOD OF ASSEMBLING COMPOSITE HOPPER CARS L Application filed Matr 9, 1928. Serial No. 276,385.

This invention relates Vto improvements in e composite wood and metal hopper bottom cars, and particularly to the Vmethod of as-' sembling same to facilitaterepairs thereto "1; k5 and .the renewal of such-parts as are commonly worn out inservice before l the remainder ofthe car structure.

In the accompanying drawings there lis illustrated in sectional views a car of the 1710 type referred to comprising center sills, a side truss structure of metal and wood, the side truss structure being assembled in such `manner asto provide a bottom chord comprising a channel 4 in the position ordinarily occupied by a side sill, a top chord comprising a side plate l0y and an overlapping bulb y angle l2 with vertical posts 8 and diagonal' braces 9 conn'ectedrespectively with said top f v chord and with said bottom chord or channel 20 4. `This general type of trussed side oonstruCtiOn, including the top and bottom chord ywith vertical posts and diagonal braces, is conventional and is merely indicated'in the accompanying drawings in such manner as tol be ywell understood by thoseskilled in the` art. f f

Associated with the top and bottom chords,

Vvertical posts and diagonale and interposed ybetween said top and bottom chords, is a wood sheathing, hereinafter referred to, which oc' cupies the position ordinarily occupied by the y .metallic sheathing or web plateof the conventionalr plate girder carv side construction,

and this sheathin is connected with the posts and diagonals re erred toin such manner as to utilize thel sheathing with the tofp and bottom chords, etc., as side girders to carry a considerable portion of the lading in the car. A conventional feature in hopper cars for the purpose vof bracing the superstructure consists of gusset plates connected with the ksides of the car and with cross ridges, ifi-such cross' ridges arepresent, and also cros'sties, lwhich conventionally extend from points somewhatbelow the top of the side wallentirely across f @and within the lading portion of thebody .ofl

the car. .I j v 1 e Y Where suchk gussetsi are connected directly l Y to the sheathing and tothe vertical body 'i Q posts; diiculty s nencun.tered i111repairingil the cars because of the limited space provided between the outstanding flanges of said gussets and body posts, between which the sheathing is positioned. To facilitate repairs in this type of car is one of they objects of the present invention.

Another object of this invention isvto provide an improved method of assembling composite hopper cars. It has been the practice heretofore in assembling composite hopper cars to assemble the steel work of the underframe and body complete in one shop and then shift the partially completed structure to another shop where the wood work is assembled with the steel parts. This in some cases rendered the application of parts of the wood work, particularly the car sidings, difficult and slow. In constructing cars in accordancewith this invention the steel work of body is but partly assembled before the wood work is applied, and after the wood work has been applied to the partly completed steel work the remainder of the steel work is applied.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a partial central vertical transverse section of a completed composite hopper car having wood sides and hopper end floors;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2-.2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 8-43 of Fig. l;

, Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the steel work partially assembled and the wood siding applied thereto in accordance with this invention, without the iiooring;

Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4; n f

Fig. 6 is a partial view of the remaining steel parts'which have been assembled prior to being applied as a unit to the structure shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a sidevelevation view, partly in section;

Fig. Sfr/is a longitudinal central sectional viewsliowing construction of the bolster and the connection of the inclined wood iioor; and Fig-..9 is a partial transverse sectional View, the section being taken on the line9 9 of Fig. 8 looking in the direction indicated by the arrow.

The car shown in the drawings is a composite hopper car having channel center sills nectedvtogether at their yupper `ends .by atop chord consisting offplate 10 and angle bar 12. The corner posts A are connected together by an end sheet 14 having an angle Vtop chord 16 and an inwardly projecting bottom flange 18. At the center of the car the oppositely disposed hopper slope sheets 19 and 2O extend 'from side to side of the car and are secured lto the center sills 1 and the channels fii'orming vparts of the 'side sills 4 Vand lhave their Vupper edges engaging upon. opposite sides ot the upper edge oft a cross bearer 6 and forming a cross ridge extending from `.side to side of the car. In the usual method of constructingcars, the parts so far described lare riveted together and, in addi-tion, to the upper edges of the cross bearer-6 and hopper slope sheets 19 and 2O at veach side ot the car gusset plates 22 are permanently secured. nthe gusset plates l22 have their outer .edges 4extending vertically and are provided with 'laterally extending flanges 23 and 24 spaced inwardly lfrom the flanges 8a ot the 4post sufficiently to permit the insertion ofthe wood .siding 26. The flange 23 is shown as formed integral with the gusset plates 22 while the flanges 24 are formed of' angles riveted to the gusset plates and having fanges vprojecting oppositelyto the flanges 23. The upper edges of thegusset plates 22 are connected by a body cross tie 28 formed with laterally extending attaching flanges 29 and 80 spaced from the flanges of the post as are the l'flanges y23 and 24. The car bodies are .then completed/by bolting the hopper flooring 32 in position and by inserting the siding 26 between the flanges of the gusset plates and posts and securing it in position by bolts 34 engaging inthe and posts.

` AExtreme difficulty is experienced in inserting-the wood siding between the flanges of the gusset Vplates and posts owing to the .unavoidable discrepancies in measurements in the manufacturing processes; therefore, in conslnueting cars in yaccordance Ywith this invention, the posts 8 and diagonal braces y9 are secured to the undertrame fot center and side sills and cross bearer 6 andthe plates 1 0 'and angles 12 are connected to the tops of the posts 8'v and braces 9; the end posts are connested by .the @ed .Sheets ,14 ,and angles 16 and tlee'lirner slope .5116@*0519 @M120 are secured to the .crolsksbearerjs A6 and sills `1 and 4,"biit the/rivets which usually secure theV lgusset'plates22 to thecro'ssbearers 6 Y are not driven, asfshownin Fig 4, flhe hopper floor- L flanges of the gusset plates ing 82 `and Ywood siding 26 are then put in plied to ythe car, the yrivets 38securing the gusset plates to the hopper cross ridge sheets The 19 vand 2O `and `cross .bearer .6 driven.

bolts A34"'are inserted yin `the y,flanges vof thek gusset plates 22, body cross tie 28 and posts 8 and engaging-.thewOOdsiding. Assembling the car in this manner permits of the wood siding26 being applied without difliculty as there is nothing in the interior of the car to yinterfere vwith the application of the wood siding to the inner-sidesvof the posts and lbraces 9. 'It will, yofcourse, bel understood that the gusset plates 22 and body cross tie 28 lneed not be assembled before application and applied as a unit, but `Vmay be applied `separately after the wood-siding 26 l'has been Y applied. f

\ Associated with the parts h ereinbetore described are hoppers B-C and associated means for developing a complete car body son structure such as bolster D, floor supports E,

side hopper sheets otmetal Ab, c and the IanglesE which underlie the inclinedend flooring to assistin supporting `the same, said angles E being riveted permanently tothe cor-ner posts A, posts v8, -diagonal'braces 9, 9al and the side sill channels 4. `Said angles E extend oblique'ly downwardly from the corner posts Yto the side channels 4 and are connected Ito the floor supports 'E as "best shown in Fig. 8. The transverse supporting members E are connected with both the center land ,side sills by rivets 4 4 and `brackets F respectively and the `side Ehopper sheets c are connected to the side sills 4 by means of vrivets 40, lWhile bolts 41 connect the planking 32 :to the inturned vlanges 42 .ot the side hopper sheets and the transverse members E, asbest shown in Fig. 9. As is conventional in this type of construction, the iboflster D has an obliquely disposed top cover 'plate D upon which `rests fthe .planlting `32,

Vbefore referred to.

It is to be vunderstood that the drawings fherein are' for .illustrative purposes only and that various changes in the :form andiproporv:tions ot the Adevice may v:be .made .within the 'sco-pe of Avthe appended claims without departfing-from thespirit ofthe invention. i "Whatis claimed is: i

jl. "The .method of ,assembling a .composite 'hopper car whiehcomprises assembling the metal parts .off the underftrame, side and ,ends Iof .said can-attaching the wood-.flooring and .siding thereto, .assembling the gruss@ plantes j and cross braces to form a unit and attach- Lconnected siding, sides @nel in -@the zunitV thus -tormel i110' zlib@ fpreyiously,

*12. "The .methediot ehemalige a engageait@ Uil hopper car which comprises assembling the underframe comprising sills and cross bearers, securing the posts and braces to said sills, connecting the posts and braces by tlie top chord members of the sides, attaching the hopper slope sheets to the sills and cross bearers, attaching the' sidings to the side posts and braces, then `attaching the gusset plates to the cross bearers, hopper vslope sheets. siding and Vposts and connecting the gusset f plates,-siding and posts by braces.

3. The method of assembling a composite i hopper car Which comprises assembling the underframe comprising sills and cross bearers, securing the posts and braces to said sills,

yconnecting the posts and braces by the top chord members of the sides, placing the end sheets inposition and securing tlie same, attaching the hopper slope sheets to the sills and cross bearers, attaching the' Wood flooring to the end plates and the siding to the side posts and. braces, then attaching thel gusset rplates to the cross bearers, hopper slope sheets, siding and posts and connecting the gusset plates, siding and posts by braces having direct connection to the posts through the siding. Y

4. Steps in the method of assembling a composite hopper car which comprise assembling 'an uiiderframe comprising sills and cross bearers, securing body posts to the side sills, securing the Wood siding to the inner faces of the posts, securing transversely eX- tending gusset plates to the hopper slope sheets and cross bearer and to the siding and posts and connecting the gusset plates, siding and posts by braces.

5. Steps in the method of assembling a composite hopper car which comprise assembling an underframe comprising sills and cross bearers, securing the hopper slope lsheets vto the sills and cross bearers, securing body posts to theside sills, securing the Wood siding to the inner faces of the posts, connecting gusset plates and braces While detached from the car and applying said gusset plates and braces to the hopper slope sheets and `cross bearers andto the posts and siding. n

Steps in the method of assembling a composite hopper car Wliicli comprise assembling the metalparts of an underframe and sides having posts, attaching hopper slope sheets to said underframe, attaching Wood siding toi the inner faces of the metal parts of the sides and to said posts, connecting gusset plates and cross braces together to l l, form a unit and securing said unit in posii tion in the car body.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand. f f

JOHN J.' MCBRIDE. 

